


What's Life Without a Little Revolution?

by pennysparrow



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon parallels, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Mild Language, Modern Era, love is love is love is love, spread love not hate, would you like some revolution with your tea?, you want a revelation i want a revolution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 09:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15531051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: Sometimes you can't sit idly by as the world spins. Sometimes you have to take action.





	What's Life Without a Little Revolution?

**Author's Note:**

> Suggested listening and inspiration: [Burn the House Down by AJR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozbnTScWups). Or what I like to think of as the modern political climate's version of The World Will Know, Do You Hear the People Sing, and My Shot. 
> 
> And now with a [playlist of the same name.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gTl9v016UADwd9bLViBQe) Hit shuffle and enjoy!

Jack felt fury burn beneath his skin. He swung around and started marching towards the guy. “How’d you like it if someone were pickin’ on you?” He growled. 

“Fuck off,” the guy laughed in Jack’s face and shoved him. 

Jack stumbled back a few steps. “I’m tired of people shitting on me and my friends. You want a fight? Well ya got one!” 

“Jack! Jack, he’s not worth it,” Crutchie called. 

“C’mon, Jackie. We’ve got bigger pricks to deal with,” Spot had come up and grabbed him, pulling him back. 

“Yeah, listen to your friends. F*g like you probably can’t even throw a punch anyway,” the guy laughed. 

“Alright, that’s it,” Spot muttered before whirling around to deck him. 

-

Kath bristled as she hit submit on her article. It felt like she was writing the same stories over and over. Except each one was somehow darker and more absurd than the last. 

“I hate this,” she muttered, slouching back in her chair. She loved her job, loved exposing the corruption that was running rampant, but Katherine was getting burnt out by it. Specs looked up from where he had decided to camp out on the floor next to her and raised an eyebrow in question. “It’s all the same! And no one seems to be doing anything to fix it!” 

“Katherine, you always say if you want something done that you should do it yourself,” Specs reminded her. They’d had this same conversation multiple times over the past couple months. 

Katherine narrowed her eyes and began googling. “You know what. I think I will.” She handed the laptop to Specs. He raised his eyebrows and grinned. 

-

David growled in frustration. He’d just had another person come into the shop to tell him they thought that the stickers on their door saying they supported the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants and minorities in general was offensive and disgusting. That a business shouldn’t have political affiliations and that even their “Jewish Owned” sticker was asking for trouble. Not that he’d asked their opinion or really cared what they thought. And, of course, they didn’t buy anything, just came in to complain. 

He had been the one to put those out. After much internal debate and consideration. And even more with his parents. David just couldn’t take the hate and the Jacobs decided that flowers spread love and love means supporting each other. 

But little acts were even igniting conflict. David had hoped that something so simple would make people feel safe and welcome. It was currently making him angry that it was a necessary act in the first place. 

His mom came to take over for him. Giving a tight-lipped smile at having overheard that interaction. David just shook his head and pulled out his phone. There was a text from Jack. It had two words: _Jacobi’s. ASAP._

-

Crutchie looked around at his friends. They’d all had the definition of a shit day. From some dick yelling slurs at them, to David dealing with a bigot, to Kath and Specs being crushed under the negativity. It would make sense that they all wanted nothing more than to just sit and be together. Instead they were fired up. Young, scrappy, and pissed the fuck off. Crutchie couldn’t be prouder. 

“I don’t _care_ if there hasn’t been a major event recently. We need to remind the world that we’re still here, we’re still queer, and we’re still fighting,” Jack said. He slammed his hand on the table in his anger. 

“You need permits for a protest,” Davey pointed out, tugging Jack back into his seat. 

“So we’ll get the permits!” Jack threw his arms up as if it were obvious. 

“And what exactly are we protesting?” Davey asked patiently. 

“Hate. The current administration. The fact that my brother and his boyfriend apparently can’t walk down the street without getting yelled at. I don’t know. Those are the first things popping into my head, but I think we all know there’s more.” 

“How about we unite under the banner of protesting the current administration,” Kath suggested as she slid into an empty chair. She pulled her laptop out and flipped it around to show them. Crutchie smiled at the list of names and contact information. It was Black Lives Matter, women’s rights, LGBTQA+ groups, gun control, and more. 

“I love this,” Crutchie told Kath with a smile. 

“So we hold a protest? Show the world that when people shout hate there’s more people shouting love right back?” Davey seemed to be thinking aloud and Crutchie watched his friend. Eagerly waiting to see where this train of thought might end. “We could have a rally. See if Medda will let us use the theater and host a rally. Spread love not hate. Get speakers and signs. Maybe a march?” 

Crutchie clapped and nodded as Jack’s face lit up. “That’s it! A rally! Medda will definitely say yes.” 

“Divided we fall,” Katherine muttered with a smile. 

“What did you just say?” Crutchie asked. He wanted her to say it again. Wanted the others to hear. They’d all been sitting there waiting to see what would come of Jack’s anger, but he suspected that she had spoken too quietly. Even though she, Jack, and Davey had become the point of everyone’s focus. 

“Divided We Fall. The quote. But use it as the title. Have it be about how to support each other when people are trying to separate us to make it easier to tear us down,” Kath started slowly but her speech had picked up speed with her obvious excitement. 

“You’ve got my support,” Spot said. Crutchie nodded. Around him everyone else started saying their agreements. 

“We’ll need to get permits and start inviting speakers. Take to social media, get support there and spread awareness,” Davey was rambling, but Kath had started taking up notes. 

“It sounds like we’re planning a revolution,” Race joked. 

They all stilled as Race’s words settled over them. There was a quiet and Crutchie felt the chill of fear creep into the group. He met Jack’s gaze before speaking. “We are.” 

-

It was the week before and everything was set up. The city had given them permission, speakers were flying in, people were expected to turn up in the hundreds, if not the thousands. Kath was excited. She was so used to giving everyone else a voice that the chance to use her own was a little intoxicating. But she was unbiased in her work and knew better than to cover the rally she helped organize. Which left one last thing on her to-do list. 

“Denton? D’you have a minute?” 

He looked up from his computer at her, an easy smile on his face. “Of course. What’s up?”

“I have a story,” Katherine told him as she stepped into his office and shut the door behind herself. “But I need you to write it.” 

Denton gave her a curious look and Kath laid out what was happening and what she hoped he’d be able to cover for the paper. 

“I’d be honored to write that. I’ll be there, you can trust me,” Denton told her solemnly and Kath beamed. 

“Thank you. It really means a lot to us.” 

Denton shook his head. “I’m sure what you’re doing means even more to a lot of other people.”

-

Medda watched as the crowds converged on her theater. Her heart was filled with pride, not for the production that would be happening later that evening, but for the action her children had taken. For the people standing up for themselves. For the people who were being heard because of today. Medda was proud to be one of those people. 

She’d made sure that there were coolers of water for the protestors. That the rules of a peaceful protest were known with the posters she had Spot and Jack hang throughout the building. She’d done everything to prepare.

Now, she got to hold her sign that read “Black Lives Matter” on one side and “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” on the other as she marched down the street. 

She saw Spot and Race in front of her, they wore pride flags and together held a huge banner that read “The first Pride was a riot.” Charlie walked next to her with a “My body, my choices!” sign and wearing a “The A is for Asexual” shirt. Finch had brought Krypto who wore a sandwich board sign reading “Pups for equal rights!” and carried his own “Captain America hates Nazis!” sign. Jack was further in front with David, chanting and waving a bi pride flag. She could just make out David’s “Coexist” sign that was made of different religious symbols. Katherine was behind her with Sarah, carrying a “Nevertheless, she persisted” banner between them. Around them hundreds more chanted and carried signs advocating for gun control, for minorities and equality and fundamental rights. Medda had never been so proud. 

-

Denton found the protest exhilarating. Despite speculation that there might be, there was no incidents as the thousands strong crowd listened to a variety of speakers at the theater before marching through the streets of Lower Manhattan. Walking among the crowd, he gathered quotes and pictures. Katherine had set up interviews for him with the other organizers, her friends Jack and David, afterward and they were utterly fantastic. 

By the time he had finished writing, the article had turned into a front-page jump to full page feature. Kath called him the next day in shock. 

“There was more than enough material to work with and I managed to interview most of the speakers ahead of time. You did your part, now I’m just doing mine,” he assured her. 

“Maybe change is coming,” Katherine said a little breathlessly. 

Denton smiled into his coffee. “It’s time to hold your head high Kath, cause folks like you are gonna burn this whole house of hate down.” 


End file.
